06.08.2009

Leigh Farmer exits Lavendon

Leigh Farmer, the previous owner of UK aerial lift rental company Higher Platforms and part of the Lavendon group over the past two years has left the business for personal reasons.

Speaking to Vertikal.Net Farmer said that he had made the decision to leave at fairly short notice, following some illnesses in the family. He said that the directors at Lavendon had been very understanding and been “really excellent in fact fantastic”.

His main regret though is that given the short time between his decision and departure at the end of last week, he did not have enough time to thank and say goodbye to everyone that he would have liked to – colleagues, customer and competitors alike.
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Leigh Farmer (L) with Richard Miller on merging with Panther in October

In a separate email statement to our offices he said:“Having served the Access Industry for many years. I would like to thank all friends, colleagues, customers and suppliers for their past support. I wish them all well for the future.”

Asked if he was finished with the access business Farmer said: “Never say never, but I have absolutely no plans or ideas. I am not sure that anyone in their right mind would want to enter the access market at the moment, although it will certainly bounce back soon enough. I would like to keep in touch with the industry and who knows what the future may bring?”

Farmer got his start in the access industry in 1979 when he joined the alloy scaffold tower division of Stephens & Carter the UK scaffold company. In 1981 the company took on the distribution for Eurolift trailer lifts along with some scissors from Holland and booms from the US giving Farmer a small powered access business to head up.

After Stephens & Carters owner BET purchased Scott Greenham his operation became part of SG Platforms until PTP was acquired at this point Farmer decided to move on and joined CP Supplies before moving on to aerial lift rental company David Meek, where he remained until the business went into administration (the first time) That was when he decided to go out on his own and founded Higher Platforms.

After building the business over 17 years he sold to Lavendon in August 2007 for £8.9 million, staying on to manage the business as a separate unit within the group. In October Higher Platforms was merged with Panther and Farmer became managing director of Panther Midlands & North.